Authors: Jessica Prince
Scattered Colors (45 page)
“Well, I’m not talking to myself this time, but I am dating
you
, so my sanity’s questionable at best.”
I let out a little yelp and tried to pull away to no avail as he pinched my side playfully. “Yeah, well, only you would stand down here in the middle of winter to watch the sunset.”
I turned away from the waves crashing against the shoreline and stared at the man I loved over my shoulder. “Because I knew you’d join me.”
“You got that right,” Parker whispered as he nuzzled into my neck. “You having a good Christmas, gorgeous?”
“It’s been fantastic.” I grinned. Piper and Caleb had made the trip from Florida to spend part of our winter break at my dad’s house with us. Stella and Michael had shown up a few hours before, and Parker’s mom had slaved away at a Christmas dinner that was absolutely to die for. It was one of the best Christmases I’d ever had, and despite not having my mother with me, I couldn’t have been happier.
“I think we should head back up.” Parker’s breath tickled my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. “Mom’s putting out dessert, and your dad looked like he was about to have an aneurism when she told him she’d made a sugar-free, butter-free dessert just for him.
My head fell back on a laugh. “Dad’s not taking to this heart-healthy diet too well. Martha told me she found a stash of candy bars in the couch cushions the other day. I’m starting to think he’s regretting hiring her as his part-time housekeeper.”
Since the heart attack, my dad and Parker’s mom had become friends. She did the housework and cooking, making sure he stuck to his doctor-recommended menu, and he grumbled that the woman was going to be the death of him. But I knew deep down he enjoyed having the company.
“We’ll go back up in a few minutes.” I pulled out of his hold and grabbed his hands, pulling him toward our log. “Besides, I wanted to show you something.”
“Is this something going to be naked?” he asked with a salacious wiggle of his eyebrows. “Because you know I’m always down for that, but I’m not so sure I’m up for performing in below-freezing temperatures.”
“Shut up,” I giggled, smacking him in the arm before pulling away and lifting the blanket I’d thrown across the log. Parker looked down at the carving he’d done years ago and I saw his eyes spark when he caught sight of what I’d added.
F.L. + P.O.
FOREVER
He grabbed hold of my arms and pulled me into his warm embrace.
“You like?” I asked as I stared up into those deep brown eyes I’d come to love with me entire heart. I’d never get tired of waking up every morning and seeing them staring back at me.
“I love, gorgeous.” He leaned down and placed a soft, sweet kiss against my lips before resting his forehead against mine. “You’re my whole world, Freya. You know that, right?”
“And you’re mine.
“I love you with all my heart, Freya Linden.”
“I love you, too, Parker Owens. You brought the color back into my life.”
After one more kiss, we turned toward the ocean, watching the scattered colors play against the sky as the sun set. Parker and I hadn’t led the easiest of lives. The ups and downs had been monumental, but the one thing that stood true was that, together, we could make it through anything.
This story was truly a labor of love. There are so many people I have to thank for helping me get Scattered Colors to the exact place I wanted it to be.
To my family: Your unwavering support is why I’m able to write these stories.
To my fabulous beta readers: Carey Heywood, Lisa Paul, Jennifer Wolfel, and Mia Sheridan. Words can’t describe what your help meant to me.
To my writing buddies: J.M. LaRocca, Emmy Montes, Amanda Maxlyn, and Erin Noelle. Thank you so much for pushing me every single day to get this story written. God only knows how much I’d
still
have left to write if it wasn’t for you guys.
To my Becky Johnson and her team of stellar betas: You guys!! You’re encouragement is
beyond
anything I could ever ask for.
To Jovana Shirley: Once again, you’ve made my book so damn pretty!
To Najla Qamber: I know the emails were crazy, but you managed to give me a cover that was more beautiful than anything I could ever ask for.
And as always, to my readers: This one is for YOU!
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